Bail anchob



Sept. 17, 1929.

Filed May 1928 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 FATENT OFFICE NATALE D. NATALE, OF BANNING, PENNSYLVANIA RAIL ANCHOR Application filed May 2,

This invention relates to rail anchors of the type which ha :e a clamping engagement with the base flanges of railroad rails and which cooperate with transverse ties or other fixed abutments to prevent the rails from creeping longitudinally.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved one-piece rail anchor which may be easily clamped upon and removed from the base flange of a rail; which will be somewhat springy and yet heavy enough to be capable of withstanding excessive strains; which shall have a large contacting surface with a tie or other fixed abut-- ment; and which will have means provided within one of its jaws for positively gripping the base flange of the rail.

Further objects of the invention, and the invention itself, will become apparent upon a study of the following description when made in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a rail anchor in elevation, applied to a rail illustrated in section, the anchor being placed in abutting relation to a railroad tie.

Figure 2 illustrates a plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the tread or upper portion of the rail having been removed.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the anchor alone, as seen when looking toward Figures 1 and 2 from the left.

Referring now to the various figures of the drawings, a rail 1 having a web 5 and base flange 6 is secured to cross ties 7 in the usual manner, as by spikes (not shown). To prevent longitudinal creeping of the rail with respect to the tie 7, an anchor is pro vided for gripping the base flange 6 and abutting the tie 7, said anchor consisting of a single bar of metal having a jaw portion 8 for gripping the upper and lower surfaces of one side of the base flange, a central portion 9, and an upwardly projecting shoulder 10 for abutting the other side of the base flange to hold the anchor in place.

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1928. Serial No. 274,567.

The anchor must be made of slightly flexible iron or steel in order that the strain upon the jaw 8 shall not be too great upon application of the anchor to the rail. To attach the anchor to the rail, one side of the base flange is inserted within slot 12 and force or hammer blows are applied at the [lat surface 11, which surface is perpendicular to the slot 12 of the jaw in order that the blows may be applied effectively and without distorting the permanent shape of the anchor, and after the flange has been driven into slot 12 for a sutlicient distance the shoulder 10 springs up into abutting engagement with the opposite side of the flange.

The jaw 8 is made quite broad in order to give it great strength and to provide an extensive gripping surface between the horizontal sides of the slot 12 and the upper and lower flange surfaces 13 and M which contact therewith. As it is unnecessary for shoulder 10 to be of such breadth as jaw 8, the anchor may be gradually inclined from the jaw to the shoulder by cutting it away as by a vertical plane as indicated at 15. This not only reduces the amount of metal and therefore the cost of manufacture. butalso increases the springiness and flexibility of the device.

The central portion 9 is dished out at 17 to further decrease the amount of metal, increase the resiliency, and to avoid improper engagement between the bottom of the rail flange and the anchor.

The vcrti 'al plane surface 18 which abuts the tie may be extended downwardly as at 19 to increase the contacting surface between the tie and anchor and thus absolutely prevent all tendency toward rocking or pivoting motion of the anchor. However, this portion 18 may be left oil if desired, in which case a horizontal. plane through line 20 would limit the lowest extremity of the anchor.

Even when the aw 8 is driven tightly over flange 6 to provide frictional contact between the anchor and rail at 13 and let, it has been found that there is still sometimes a slight turmdeney toward creeping. One of the main features of the present invention lies in the provision of means for positively preventing this slight creeping action. A

plurality of slots 21 (see Fig. 3), which 5 may he perpendicular to or slightly inclined from the perpendicular to the plane 11, are provided in the upper side of jaw 8. W hen the surface of the rail. flange tends to move through main slot 12 ahiting action thereon results from pressure of the sharp edges of slots 21 against this surface and the flange is thus so tightly gripped that the rail cannot move. A similar group of slots might also he placed in the lower jaw portion.

15 Having now described my invention 1 wish to he understood that various changes in the construction of my anchor may be made which changes are to he limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a broad j aw portion adapted to grip one side of the rail base, a plurality of slots sill intially rec tangular in cross-section wi iin said jaw portion, said slots being subs antially perpendicular to the axis of the rail, a narrow flange portion for eng 'in' the other side of the rail base, and an niterinediae portion connecting said jaw portion and said flange portion.

2. A rail anchor comprising a jaw portion for engaging one side of a rail base, spaced slots in said jaw portion substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rail, a flange portion for engaging the Vertical edge of the other side of the rail base, and an intermediate portion connecting said jaw portion and said portion, said intermediate portion comprising a continuous 49 substantially straight portion and a downwardly extending portion having a plane vertical surface, said downwardly extending portion being adapted to abut against a tie. ll rail anchor cmnprising a bar. torn'led at one end with a hook shaped jaw which projects over and grips the rail, spaced slots within said jaw substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rail, said bar being formed the other l with a shoulder for engaging the epposi e side of the rail base, and

"formed with an intermediate portion connecting the jaw with the shoulder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature.

' NiiTALE D. NATALE. 

